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Low-flying planes will drop raccoon rabies vaccines in mountains

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 5, 2026

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help prevent the spread of rabies. Starting in early October, Wildlife Services will be distributing oral rabies vaccine for raccoons in western North Carolina.

The oral rabies vaccination program, originally established in the 1990s, helps prevent the raccoon rabies epizootic from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains, where raccoon rabies does not exist. Approximately 600,000 baits are expected to be distributed in North Carolina this year through this program.

Beginning this week, baits will be distributed by hand in the Asheville area. From Oct. 9-13, helicopter baiting will cover the urban and suburban communities in greater Asheville, Burnsville, Mars Hill and Waynesville area. From Oct. 15-22, low-flying airplanes will drop baits containing oral rabies vaccine in Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties.

"The best way to prevent rabies is to ensure pets and mammals that are intended to be in public contact are vaccinated," said Dr. Carl Williams, NCDHHS Public Health Veterinarian."Vaccinating the animals in and around our home adds another layer of protection against the spread of this deadly disease.”

The baits — consisting of a sachet or plastic packet — contain an oral vaccine that vaccinates animals against rabies virus when consumed. To attract raccoons, the packets are sprinkled with a fishmeal coating or encased inside hard fishmeal–polymer blocks about the size of a matchbox. When a raccoon bites into a bait, the vaccine packet is punctured, allowing the vaccine to enter the animal’s mouth, which activates its immune system to produce antibodies. This protects the animal from becoming infected with rabies.

Intact baits will not harm people, pets or wildlife. The USDA Wildlife Services has issued the following precautions if you or your pets encounters a bait:

• If you or your pet find a bait, leave it where you found it unless it is on your lawn, driveway or other area unlikely to attract raccoons in which case you can move the bait to an area of thicker cover where raccoons are more likely to find it and pets are less likely to encounter it. Wear gloves or use a towel if you pick up bait. While there is no harm in touching undamaged baits, they have a strong fishmeal smell.
• Eating the baits won’t harm your pet but consuming several baits might temporarily upset your pet’s stomach.
• Do not try to remove an oral rabies vaccine packet from your pet’s mouth as you could be bitten.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if there is any chance the vaccine packet has ruptured.
• Instruct children to leave baits alone. If a bait is ingested by a child or adult, contact your local health department or call the phone number listed on the bait (1-877-722-6725). To date, NCDHHS has never received a report of a human ingesting a bait packet.
• Broken or ruptured baits are ineffective and should be disposed of by using gloves to place the bait in a bag and then into a regular trash bin. Anyone who comes into contact with the bait’s liquid vaccine should thoroughly wash their hands using soap and water, then call the phone number listed on the bait or their local health department for further instructions and referral.